


You Messed With the Wrong Crew

by Benedicthiddleston



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Enterprise, Fights, Insults, M/M, Other, Starfleet Academy Cadets, angry Kirk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 06:18:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8478484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benedicthiddleston/pseuds/Benedicthiddleston
Summary: Jaylah has endured a couple of years at the Academy. Now she gets to test herself out in the field: being a Cadet on the Enterprise. It is all fun and games until someone starts bad-mouthing her Captain, her crew, and the blessed ship herself.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ReincarnatedEgyptian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReincarnatedEgyptian/gifts).



The original five year mission had ended. And Captain James T. Kirk of the _USS Enterprise_ NCC 1701-A signed up immediately to go back out for another five years. And while some of the crew had a few choice words about such another endeavor so soon (really, only Bones bitched), every single crew member returned to their posts aboard the gleaming beauty of a flagship after just four months of shore leave on Earth.

While back on Earth, the _Enterprise_ received further upgrades and grew to expand its ability to reach even further unknown planets and civilizations. That meant expanding crew quarters and taking on even training Cadets. Much to the chagrin of literally every member of the senior crew, one of those training Cadets was Jaylah.

Much had changed since they had last seen their fellow warrior just over two years before, wishing her well on her trip back to Earth from the Yorktown to start classes and training at Starfleet Academy. In that time, she had grown from the bad-ass broken-Standard speaker to a much more elegant bad-ass kick-asser with terrific language skills and a passion for – who would have guessed – fixing things. Engineering had become her main focus and she was relishing everything she was learning, from warp core mechanics to the basics of Federation history. While she struggled with much of the philosophy content, she excelled at her combat courses and the mathematics involved with complex coding for a ship’s main systems: life support, the warp core on larger ships, engines of all smaller ships, and even the replicators.

Now she was a budding third-year and luckily for her, she had friends in high places.

“James T.!”

A streak of red and white and black lines seemed to barge into the Captain’s waiting arms, a bubble of laughter rising up from Jim’s chest. “Well, if it isn’t Jaylah.”

Her eyes, always seeming to be wide with wonder and a curiousness Jim had never been able to quench, looked at him wide and wonderful. “I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity. I have been waiting – waiting weeks to finally get to board the _Enterprise_! Well, I have had to study, of course, in between all the waiting. And eat. And sleep. And –“

Jim managed a chuckle, releasing her from his grasp. “I remember the Academy. It was more of a party session for me, to be honest.”

Jaylah seemed to stop mid-sentence and mid-thought, her face frowning. “Then how did you become Captain?”

“That is a story for another time, perhaps.”

Jaylah seemed to minutely shrug and then went straight into perfect military formation, hands at her back, head and eyes forward, legs perfectly straight. “Reporting for duty aboard the _USS Enterprise_ , Captain James T. Kirk.”

Captain Kirk nodded, trying hard not to smile. “You are hereby granted permission to board and report for duty at oh seven hundred hours in Engineering tomorrow under the instruction of Lieutenant Commander –“

“Montgomery Scotty!” Jaylah blurted out, eyes and face grinning unprofessionally. She stifled it quickly, a tiny smile still on her face.

This time, Kirk managed to not hold back the smile. “Yes. Montgomery Scotty – I mean Scott. You may proceed to the mess hall for further instructions on how to find your quarters and meeting of other Cadets that will be onboard the _Enterprise_ this summer. If you have any questions, you may contact any member of the crew to assist you.”

Jaylah gave a curt nod and a quick salute, proceeding to turn around and head to the shuttle pads behind her that would take her up to Starbase One, where the _Enterprise_ sat in dock.

“And Jaylah?”

She stopped but did not turn around. “Yes, Captain?”

“Enjoy yourself. It is a pleasure to see you again. We will have to catch up soon.”

She grinned, stifling a giggle. She then continued to walk, leaving Captain Kirk to his own personal business, whatever it might have been.

* * *

The _Enterprise_ had left Earth with barely a dust cloud to its name, exploring planet and solar system after solar system for almost a month. The Academy cadets were hands-on with every mission, between analyzing samples, actually being a part of the landing parties, and helping to navigate the ship safely in orbit and through fields of debris and heavy rock areas near planets. The cadets experienced life on a starship, gaining real life experience and thriving in the environment.

Captain Kirk’s favorite part was making all of the cadets perform simulations. They all excelled at the distraction of what a real life emergency could bring. It made them combat ready faster.

Jim, though, had no worries about Jaylah. She had already shown herself worthy back when they had first met, and had continued to thrive in the years in between then and now. She showed spirit and determination. A fiery of arms, legs, and body all coordinated together to kick major ass.

By the time the _Enterprise_ docked a month later at the Yorktown space station, every cadet was worn tired, down to the bone and through every fiber of muscle. Captain Kirk gave every cadet three days off of the ship and his crew a much needed break from the life of the starship for five days.

And that was when he popped the question to Spock.

For as long as the crew of the _Enterprise_ had been together, they had known something was up between their fellow Captain and his trusted First Officer. They had figured it was love. Especially since Spock was a Vulcan who needed a bond – sooner, rather than later.

The rumors that flew across the starship and the space station made record rounds, going from one person to the next and through the entire crew and civilization in less than twenty-four hours. So many people came to Captain Kirk’s quarters to say congratulations that Kirk made it a habit to lock his door and shut down his communicator when he was not on shift. That usually meant everyone just contacted Spock, the bastards.

But really, everyone was very happy for their Captain and First Officer. They would make a lovely couple in marriage. They already made the strongest Command duo in Starfleet. Why not just add sexual relations to that?

* * *

Scotty had finally handed his precious engineering and the best warp core in the ‘fleet over to his own second-in-command, Lieutenant Commander Timothy Carlos, and gotten away from the ship to take a much needed break from looking at PADDs all day. So, in spirit of his time off, he grabbed a few security personnel, his trusted third-in-command Ensign Pavel Chekov, and the lady he was still trying to woo – Jaylah – and headed off to one of the eight bars on the Yorktown.

They managed to find the most crowded bar on the space station, named Cowgirl Hay Bale, but also the tastiest food.

Of course, with the alcohol flowing and the voices ringing all around them, the group was bound to hear many a rumors.

“He’s kissing that cock-sucking human, James Kirk. The idiot Captain of the Federation’s _Enterprise_.”

“I didn’t just hear that they were kissing. I heard they were now going to make it official.”

“How is that not against the rules with their Federation?”

Hendroff’s eyes narrowed, his lips a thin line of anger. He clenched his fists, almost slamming them onto the table. His table mates gave him a blank look, Scotty raising an eyebrow. “What is going on?”

Hendroff jerked his head to the table nearest him. “They are talking smack about the Captain.”

Jaylah’s eyes went wide in surprise. “How dare they?!” She almost jumped up from her seat, fighting stance at the ready, but Scotty grabbed her by the shoulder and gently squeezed.

“No, Jaylah. We don’t need to fight for our Captain’s honor. We are better than that.”

“But they are speaking wrongly about James T. and Mr. Spock.”

“People do it all the time,” Chekov shrugged, downing the last drop of his whiskey.

Jaylah sighed and relaxed, reaching for her own vodka shot she had left untouched thus far into the night.

The group started to relax, starting to chatter about relationships onboard the ship and who would be perfect for who. The rumor mill had to get started somewhere.

The evening wore on for another thirty minutes before the next foul word came around. This time, Chekov heard two unfamiliar aliens whispering in stilted Standard about the many mishaps of the _Enterprise_ crew. While the crew had been through many trials and tribulations, they had survived and come out of each battle victorious. The fact someone or anyone was talking disgusting words about them as a whole made Chekov’s stomach turn.

His head snapped around, eyes finding the two offending aliens immediately. He was about to get up when Hendroff coughed. “Don’t do it, Ensign.”

“But the crew – they have no way to defend themselves.”

Scotty sighed. “We are still better than that, Chekov.”

Chekov sighed, slumping forward in his seat. “Yeah, okay.”

Jaylah raised her newest glass. “To the _Enterprise!_ ”

“To the _Enterprise!_ ” cried her fellow mates, all smiling in happiness.

But that happiness was short lived.

Laughter came from behind Scotty, and then a mouth was breathing all over Jaylah’s neck. “Oh the _Enterprise_. Such a poor and distasteful ship. Needs a re-haul, and not for the better.”

Jaylah felt her hands turn into fists. “Excuse me?”

“Jaylah-“

“No, you heard me correctly. The _Enterprise_ is just a bolt of metal with some rust. The crew is meager and the ship runs like it has oil stuck in its wires. Plus, it just isn’t fast enough for my taste. It-“

Scotty was up out of his seat faster than the speed of light, a fist swinging into the unsuspecting alien that was bad-mouthing the _Enterprise_. “Try me, buddy!”

But no more words needed to actually be said. Scotty had thrown the first punch. And from that point on, the entire bar went into defensive mode. Someone else threw a punch and then Jaylah was up out of her seat, eyes raging with anger, legs kicking. She screamed, knocking people around left and right.

Then it was all out war.

* * *

Jim flopped onto the bed next to his fiancé, looking up at Spock’s focused face. Spock was busy reading a PADD, finger scrolling methodically across the screen. Jim knew what Spock was reading: the new rules and regulations updated for the use on the _Enterprise_ NCC 1701-A when the newest crew members – Starfleet Academy students – became actual officers and members of a working Starfleet as a whole. The students worked in an unofficial capacity while onboard, even though they were already like a part of the crew as it was. There was a lot that was going into making Flagships adequate learning spaces for students while also performing necessary duties: exploration, battle as needed, joining new civilizations and lifeforms, embracing the community that the Federation brought to the entire universe.

Jim reached a hand up to ruffle Spock’s hair. “Ya know, we could – do something a little more fun than that.”

Spock’s eyes never left the screen and his hand never stopped moving across the screen. He didn’t give any suggestion that he had even _heard_ Jim, until – “As I have gotten to know you, both professionally and intimately, I have been able to ascertain certain habits of yours. Like your need for constant gratification. Like your ambitious enjoyment of sexual favors and sexual innuendo.”

Jim smirked, eyes flashing with a teasing look. “I am surprised you even know the definition of that word, let alone appropriate usage when it comes to our relationship.”

The hand on the PADD stilled and Jim watched Spock raise a single eyebrow. Jim laughed, eyes twinkling in the low light of the cabin’s artificial illumination.

“If you would agree –“

Before Spock could finish, Jim’s emergency alert on his communicator went off. Both men seemed to jump to the defensive in an instant, the PADD discarded to the side and Jim up off the bed in record time.

The message was voice and from a very stern Commander in Quadrant Thirteen of the Yorktown Space Station.

_Captain Kirk, there has been a brawl at one of the bars on the station. Cowgirl Hay Bale was found in pretty substantial shambles from an instigated fight between Lieutenant Commander Scott and the coof coof alien by the name of Google. Please report to Quadrant Thirteen’s holding cell at the location messaged to you and promptly to obtain your crew. It was not just Lieutenant Commander Scott involved. Commander Sheridan out._

By the end of the message, Jim was holding the bridge of his nose and groaning rather loudly. “God, sometimes I _really_ hate this job.”

“We give the crew time off and they–“

“Don’t, Spock. I will go handle this. Now where did you put my underwear?”

Spock finally looked down, staring in relative surprise. His fiancé was entirely naked and open for all to see. And he did not mind it. Not one bit.

“Fascinating.”

* * *

The holding cell was, in Jaylah’s own opinion, frankly, _freezing_. She wrapped herself up in her coat, nursing the growing headache from the alcohol and the beer glass attack from an unsuspecting alien back in the bar.

They had not meant to, ya know, get into a fight with the whole bar and or whole quadrant, but it had been unavoidable the second that shitty alien disowned the _Enterprise_. Not that Jaylah believed for a second she would have been able to actually stop Montgomery Scotty from throwing the first punch, but she so wished she could turn back time. She could make herself invisible with technology, or even duplicate herself. But going back in time was not her specialty.

She sighed, leaning up against the wall. Beside her was a snoring Hendroff and a still hung over Chekov, whose eyes seemed to be going in circles without a single break in motion. Montgomery Scotty was somewhere else – probably getting the worst talk down of his life. Jaylah did not want to know what that conversation entailed.

But she could not get comfortable – at least, not any time soon. The door that lead into the holding cells slid open and the one and only Captain James T. Kirk walked in with Commander Sheridan, Captain Kirk’s face a blank wall of stone. Unreadable. No emotion whatsoever. That worried Jaylah. It really did.

As the door slid close, Hendroff jerked awake, blinking his eyelids multiple times, sleep evident on his face. “We in trouble?”

Chekov shrugged. “I could use another whiskey.”

Jaylah sighed. She knew Chekov was just trying to shake off his latest break-up with the opposite sex. He was just doing it the wrong way. She would need to teach him. One day.

Commander Sheridan and Captain Kirk came to a stop beside the glowing force field keeping them prisoner. Commander Sheridan put his hand to a scanner and punched in a code. The force field shimmered away, leaving them an opening to finally leave. _Freedom!_

“Your Captain has agreed to punish you as he sees fit. You leave under his command and care. You are hereby banned from the Cowgirl Hay Bale. Per my request and the owner’s demand.”

The crew seemed to not care, all wobbling towards the lone exit and stumbling out, all holding onto each other for assistance. Jaylah did not look at her Captain’s face as she followed her fellow mates out of the holding cell. She knew she was going to regret this one for a long time.

* * *

The Captain had demanded every individual involved in the bar brawl to report to storage bay five on deck six. Not only had none of the involved individuals gotten any real sleep since the incident, many of them were not ready for the beat down they knew they were all about to receive from their commanding officer.

Jaylah stood at attention in the storage bay, Chekov doing the same to her left and Lieutenant Commander Scott doing the same to her right. Further down the line was Hendroff. In total, there were twenty six crew members and four Academy students standing at attention, their Captain having yet to make his appearance in the storage bay. But not one of them dared move from stance, dare they infer the already heightened wrath of their fearless Captain.

If the doors on the _Enterprise_ could be slammed, Captain James T. Kirk of the _USS Enterprise_ NCC-1701-A would have slammed every door from kingdom come. But he had to settle with a harsh glare at his disobeying crew members and a firm fist held behind his back. He strode into the storage bay, all niceties out the window in an instant.

Spock followed behind, more for moral support than anything else, as he watched his Captain command charge of the situation

Captain Kirk did not allow his crew to enter into parade rest, leaving them to stay at attention, eyes forward, arms and hands at their sides, feet planted firmly on the ground.

“Someone – and I do _not care who_ speaks up – will explain what happened earlier, and they will do it _now_.”

Jaylah, wanting so badly to close her eyes even for just one second, was about to speak up when Chekov stepped forward, voice carrying.

“Keptin, we encountered individuals who instigated a fight.”

“That is not what I understand from the reports given to me, Ensign,” Kirk bit out, voice straining with held back anger.

“They attacked your character, Keptin. And then they attacked your relationship with Commander Spock.”

Captain Kirk wanted to roll his eyes so desperately, but he was professional, dammit. “You got into a fight because they insulted myself and my fiancé?”

Lieutenant Commander Scott cleared his throat. “No, Captain. We did not get involved with a fight due to that reason.”

“Then _what_ was the reason?!”

Scotty kept his eyes trained on the wall just beyond his Captain. “They proceeded to talk rude things about the crew of the _Enterprise_.”

“So you got into a fight because of some bad mouthing about my crew?”

Jaylah sighed in her head and stepped forward. “No, Captain. Lieutenant Commander Scott threw the first punch because they stated cruel heathenish adjectives against the _Enterprise_ herself.”

If Jim had not been a professional starship Captain, he would have face palmed himself right then and there. But he held his composure, eyes stern on the group in front of him.

“So let me get this straight. You did _not_ get into a fight when it came to other aliens saying distasteful words about Commander Spock and myself. You did _not_ get into a fight when it came to other aliens saying distasteful words about the crew of the _Enterprise_. Instead, you got into a _fucking_ bar brawl with over ten individuals injured and one critical in my medical bay because they insulted my ship, the _Enterprise_?”

Every head standing at attention nodded in unison, all thirty voices echoing, “Yes, Captain.”

Again, if James T. Kirk were not a professional, he would have probably been face palming and wondering where the hell he went wrong with his crew for this to even happen. But, as he was a professional, he had to make an example. A justified example.

He sighed. “Okay. For what it is worth, I – can see this being true. Unfortunately, this means consequences. All thirty of you will return to your quarters and remain there for exactly twenty-four hours. You are not allowed anywhere else onboard the ship. You are confined to your quarters for one whole day cycle. Once that twenty-four hours has completed, all of you will return to your posts and continue your duties you were assigned to upon commencement of this mission. None of you will enjoy the last days of leave upon the Yorktown. And you will not go on leave for the next six months, regardless of our destinations. I will take each request to go on an away mission on a case-by-case basis.

“I am highly disappointed in all of you. We are a peace keeping organization. We do not fight with others, especially those that we have invited into our communities. Most of all, I am disappointed in myself for not showing you a better example.”

Kirk sighed, finally pinching the bridge of his nose. “You are dismissed.”

The line of crew broke, many sulking off to their quarters as commanded. Commander Spock stood beside the exiting door, hands folded neatly behind him, his face blank of emotion as usual.

But two individuals did not leave. They continued to stay at attention, side by side, eyes straight ahead.

“Cadet, Lieutenant Commander. You both may return to your quarters.”

“Do you not want to know more?”

“I think I know enough, Mr. Scott.”

Scotty sighed, breaking from his stance. “We felt we were keeping your honor intact by not fighting with those aliens when they insulted your relationship with Mr. Spock. Obviously we-“

Jaylah interrupted, eyes wide with laughter. “They insulted the _Enterprise_. Come on, they basically disowned the flagship of Starfleet and the Federation. We _had_ to fight.”

Jim managed a smirk. “I guess if someone does not stand up for my ship when I am not around, then the rumors shall continue on into the black.”

Jaylah grinned, nudging Scotty. “See, he isn’t _that_ mad.”

Scotty shrugged.

“Me? Mad? Nah, I am not mad. But you are going to feel my wrath for this incident for a _very long time_ , Jaylah.”

She hid behind Scotty’s form, a grin on her face. “Does that mean I am in the chicken coop from now on?”

Somehow, that made _everyone_ in the room burst out laughing.

Even Mr. Spock.


End file.
